12 powerful ways to live simply and reduce unnecessary suffering
Sometimes we are tired, life can make us feel exhausted. Recovering from mental illness is a challenge (which is something many of us here are doing). The constant self-discipline and emotional fluctuation of it can make us feel completely drained- mentally, physically, and emotionally. When we start to live simply we can bring a great sense of peace to our lives. Your don’t need to live a complicated life.
The ultimate goal of our bodies is to survive and protect ourselves. The ultimate goal of our mind is to not only survive, but also self-actualize (reach our full potential). In an attempt to achieve these things our minds and bodies can become misguided. As a result we may overcomplicate things, and develop unhealthy coping mechanisms. By doing this we convince ourselves that we are helping ourselves, even protecting ourselves. However, these thought-processes and behaviours that our minds can develop (to ‘protect us’) sometimes actually result in more harm. They hold us back from growth, wellbeing, and peace.
Today we are going to discuss how we can take a step back and focus on the basics of living. When we focus on these basics, we can distance ourselves from the unhelpful patterns that we THINK are helping. We are bringing our attention back to the foundation of what REALLY helps – we are beginning to live simply. As a result of this we can live easily.
This can help with conserving energy so that you can keep up the momentum of your recovery journey instead of burning yourself out.
So, let’s get on with these tactics:
Tactic 1- Live Simply by Prioritising Carefully
This is the first and most important point here! Sometimes we feel that we are in such complicated tangles in life with multiple complex problems. You need to take a step back and think about what is really essential. Remember that you only have limited energy, and you need to prioritise your peace so that you can live simply.
Try to make a list of ordered priorities and focus your energy and attention on completing these tasks. What is the most fundamental to your wellbeing – these tasks should be at the top of your priority list.
Choose to give attention only to the problems that have a solution. After all, what is the point of worrying about something that can’t be changed. When you have identified which of your problems you can solve, focus your attention on solving them. Remember, time-box this activity so that it doesn’t drain your energy and impact your wellbeing.
I suggest sitting down for 15 minutes at the end of the day and planning the steps to solve the problems that have a proper solution. For the others, allow yourself to let go of them. Alternatively, write them down and allow them to stay on the paper and away from your energy – a great way to declutter your mind. This is one key of starting to live simply.
Tactic 2- Give yourself Permission to be a Simple Person
As human beings we all have a purpose. We are meant to grow by overcoming certain challenges. Our bodies also have a primary role of maintaining a homeostatic equilibrium- in simple terms, maintaining a balanced state that is able to survive. In terms of the mind, when we are threatened in any way. For example, a train pulls out very quickly giving us a shock. Our mind and body respond to this deviation from balance through ADAPTATION. This is where our bodies will go into a fight or flight response so that we can react quickly. For example, by stepping back from the platform. The goal of this is to bring our bodies out of danger so that we can bring back balance again- a state of homeostatic balance.1
Many things trigger us in life, causing this ADAPTATION reaction. They will not all be physical dangers. For example, our bodies will respond with this ADAPTATION reaction when we are waiting to hear the results of an exam, or when we are excluded from a party. Some of us will be constantly anxious or have a constant low mood- perhaps as a result of a bigger or deeper-rooted problem. The mechanisms that work in our brains and bodies are still the same though, no matter the size of the problem.
At the core, we are all human beings who are simply trying to maintain a homeostatic balance. Allow yourself to see your challenges as human challenges- your emotions as chemicals reactions, your anxious thoughts as brain processes. Instead of focusing on the content of your thoughts, shift your focus onto the PROCESS of your thinking. Break things down if you want to live simply. You don’t need to live a complicated life.
We are often simpler than we think we are when we break things down. In order to live simply, it is so important for you to allow yourself to be a simple human. Not everything needs to be complicated. You can view your complex feelings as complex feelings without getting stuck into them and believing them or letting them affect you. Some thoughts are important to take seriously, we will discuss that in tactic three. Try to put the words ‘I had a thought that’ in front of thoughts to distance yourself from them when they cause you distress.
You can use this technique called thought defusion to distance yourself from your thoughts. You can find out how do to that here.
Tactic 3- Live more Simply by Using the THINK acronym
You should use the THINK acronym to assess your thoughts and concerns before your give them too much of your attention or energy. This will help you to live simply and live easily. Are your thoughts: True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, or Kind?
If they do not fulfil these conditions (to yourself/others) then allow them to go, you do not need to take all thoughts seriously. Thoughts are allowed to exist in your mind without you attending to them. In order to live simply you need to filter out the thoughts that need to be acted upon from the thoughts that don’t.
When you take all of your thoughts seriously, including those which do not fulfil the THINK acronym criteria, your mind becomes overly complicated with thoughts that are not helpful, and that do not serve a purpose. Use this to live simply when communicating with other people, but more importantly, when communicating with yourself.
Tactic 4- Live a More Simple Life by Bringing Things Back to the Basics
The truth is, we can live and grow so much better by fulfilling all of our basic needs first. You would be surprised by the number of people who neglect building a strong foundation of these basics. As human beings we all need nutritious food, adequate hydration, moderate exercise, sleep, shelter, and human connection, to live our best lives. When any of these is missing we simply cannot move on to greater things. Here is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow was one of the greatest American Psychologists. He proposed this hierarchy of needs, the idea is that we need to fulfil each level (from the bottom) to move to the next level up. The highest level is self-actualization where we reach our full potential
It is important to try our best to fulfil all of our needs but if there is a gap in the foundation, we may struggle with the higher levels. You can live simply by aiming to fulfil the foundation of your needs so that you can build on that.
A technique to help with building a strong foundation is the DBT technique ABC Please. This is a skill that helps us to build up our resilience to reduce our vulnerability. We do this first by building a strong foundation. You can find out how to use this effective technique here.
Tactic 5 – Clean your Space to Declutter your Mind
In order to live simply and live easily you must declutter your mind. It is so much easier to declutter your mind when you declutter your environment! Try to keep your living space clean and organised. Also, tick as many things off your to-do list (small chores) as soon as you can so that they don’t accumulate and occupy space in your mind.
Tactic 6 – Live Simply by Living in the Moment and Releasing Control
The truth is, we can’t really control what happens in the future. We can’t control things that have already happened, these things can’t be changed. When we internalise this we can stop living an overly complicated life.
The only thing you can control is the present. This is where mindfulness comes in. Try to be fully engaged in the present moment as often as possible. When you catch yourself worrying about the past or the future, think about whether there is an actionable solution. If there is not, then gently bring your mind back to the present moment.
You can practice mindfulness- it is a skill. A huge part of living in the moment and reducing mental battling (with anxieties) is by practicing radical acceptance.
Radical acceptance is an extremely powerful technique where you choose to accept the past, the present, and the future. This means accepting things that you don’t like (including pain), as they are in the moment. Of course you don’t have to love these things but when you choose to accept them you stop battling them. You give them less attention and as a result, they impact you far less. This is a great way to live easily, you don’t need to complicate life and battle everything. You can find out how to practice radical acceptance here.
Another great thing to do is to clearly identify the things that you can’t control. When you have identified these things, you can consciously choose to move your energy away from them and onto things that you can control. I have written an article on things you should release control of to live simply, you can find that here.
Tactic 7- Do One Thing at a Time and Reduce Multitasking
Try to slow down and do one thing at a time. You can be more present this way and simplify your life. A neuroscientist at Stanford University said that ‘When we take on a task, several brain networks dealing with attention and cognitive control are involved…this ultimately results in slower processing of information, and more results made.’2 In simple terms, multitasking overwhelms the brain and makes us less effective at the task we are doing.
A great way to live simply is to focus on one task at a time. By doing this you will be able to keep the processes in your mind running smoothly and optimally. You will reduce stress and make less mistakes.
We all think that when we are multitasking, we are doing two things at once. However, in reality we are actually rapidly switching between two tasks.3
In order to reduce multitasking, you need to build time into your schedule for the tasks that you need to get done. You must also reduce distractions and become better at being mindful of the present moment. You can learn more about how to stop multitasking here.
Tactic 8- Live Simply by Listening to your Body More
An important thing for you to do to live simply is taking a step back and listening to your body more. Remember, the mind has its foundation in the physical brain. Our bodies tell us so much and many of us are so busy or overwhelmed with life that we forget the most simple and important thing we own- our bodies.
Remember that stress, anxiety, shame, low mood, etc. are all feelings. We often think that external events ARE the anxiety, stress, etc. In reality though, feelings are far simpler than we tend to make them. Feelings are sensations in our bodies – racing thoughts, cortisol running through our blood, shallow breathing. When we bring attention to how our body feels we can work to reduce these distressing feelings and live a less complicated life.
Here is a technique for you to use so that you can live simply, focussing on the foundation of your wellbeing- your body:
Step 1) Take a deep, slow breath- in through your nose and out slowly through your mouth. Make sure you are sitting somewhere comfortable and relatively quiet and close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Step 2) Bring your attention to your body and any tension that it holds. Notice which parts of your body hold anxiety. Simply notice, don’t try to analyse. Take deep slow breaths, and imagine yourself breathing into these areas of stress, bringing a relaxation to your body.
Step 3) Now open your eyes. Any tension or anxiety that remains in your body you are aware of- this in itself gives you back a sense of control. You can tell yourself ‘I am holding some tension in my stomach’, this will remind you that anxiety itself is not scary, it is simply a physiological state.
Another great exercise for you to try is the light exercise, you can find out how to do that here.
Simple breathing exercises are also great for bringing back a sense of calm to the body. Here are lots for you to choose from.
Tactic 9- Spend More Time Enjoying Nature and the Simple Life Pleasures
Many of us are preoccupied by all of the complicated technology and developments of the 21st century but nothing can replicate the beauty of nature. Nature is one of those simple joys of life which are essential to live simply and contentedly – healthily.
Try to take time away from your technology and social media to enjoy nature and spend time outdoors. Notice the smells, the sounds, the colours, and the patterns. Try to notice things that you hadn’t noticed before because there is so much beautiful detail and variety in nature. It would be a tragedy to go through your whole life, never having appreciated it.
You can enjoy nature more by unplugging from technology and going for more walks outside or going hiking. There are so many health benefits of being outside- this is no coincidence. There are health benefits because our bodies and minds were MEANT to spend time outdoors. In order to live simply and relax your mind you need to become in tune with this need. You can find out about the health benefits of spending time outside here.
There are also many other simple pleasures that you likely experience already. By bringing mindfulness to these you can enhance your wellbeing and enjoy life more. I have made a list of simple life pleasures; you can find that here.
Tactic 10- Life a Less Complicated Life by Letting Go of Decision Paralysis
Indecision is one of the main factors that block our ability to live simply and live easily. When we stress ourselves out over which decision to make it can overwhelm our brains, making the world feel overly complicated and stressful. This is the opposite of our intention.
There are some big things in life that you should definitely spend time thinking about before coming to a decision. For smaller problems or choices that you need to make, try to make the decision quickly and then commit to that decision. There is no point over-complicating trivial things like which dress to buy or where you should go on a day out.
Tactic 11- Calm your Mind by Setting Time to Unwind
When we don’t take time out of our day to disconnect from the stresses of life we can burn our batteries out. As a result of this, things will seem more difficult and complicated than they actually are.
Usually, when we take a break and tend to our emotional needs, we realise that things aren’t as difficult or complicated as they previously seemed. This is a great way for you to start to live simply- minimise unnecessary distress by setting yourself time to unwind.
In order to avoid exhaustion, it is so important for you to schedule in regular breaks in your week- at least once a day. These breaks should be for a substantial amount of time, and you should be allowed to completely disconnect from your worries at this time. I am not telling you to forget about your worries forever, if you want to you can write your worries down on a sheet of paper if it makes things easier. The idea is that in your break you are able to put any worries aside. You’re worries can wait.
Tactic 12- Live Simply by Developing Boundaries with People
It is so important to spend time with people, but it is essential for you to develop good boundaries if you want to live simply and live a less complicated life. You can define your own boundaries, but you need to be mindful of your own wellbeing when you interact with others.
There are some people who may be more complicated and require more energy to be around. You can still see these people of course but try to make sure you set time-boundaries so that you don’t deplete your own energy.
Another really important element of living simply is finding balance. It is important to give to others if you can (in time and energy) but when you over-give or become overly involved it can start to impact your own wellbeing. This will obviously have a negative impact on you and is unsustainable, meaning that in the long term you will probably end up helping others less anyway- so set boundaries!
Something else for you to prioritise if you want to live simply is reducing unnecessary/unhelpful conflict. Sometimes a level of conflict (such as an argument/ heated discussion) is necessary to get thing to change. However, if you want to live a less complicated life, try not to get involved in arguments of fights over small things. Additionally, if an argument isn’t going to help with anything, try to resolve the problem calmly or detach from the situation. There is no point expending energy on unnecessary conflict.
Round-Up
If you have read up until the end I am very impressed! Today we spoke about 12 different tactics which you can use to live simply. Thank you for being here, It means a lot to me and I look forward to hopefully having you back soon.
Sending love and hugs always,
Yasmin
- Murphy, T.F. (2021). Homeostasis. [online] Psychology Fanatic. Available at: https://psychologyfanatic.com/homeostasis/ ↩︎
- Stanford University (2021). Why multitasking does more harm than good. [online] Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Available at: https://neuroscience.stanford.edu/news/why-multitasking-does-more-harm-good ↩︎
- www.betterup.com. (n.d). Multitasking Isn’t Working: A Science-Backed Approach to a Better Day. [online] Available at: We all think that when we are multitasking, we are doing two things at once. However, in reality we are simply rapidly switching between two tasks. ↩︎
